Is Alcohol Addictive? Really?

The question: Why is alcohol addictive? To begin with, any substance or activity that alters our state of mind has the possibility of being addictive and alcohol is obviously one of these.  But, why is alcohol addictive?  Some would say that one reason alcohol is so addictive is the fact that it is considered an “acceptable” social activity, however even a social drinker frequently finds they have established an alcohol addiction after frequent weekend drinking sessions. Not only is alcohol addictive, but long-term, habitual usage is also associated with hypertension, stroke, and sudden death.

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The Process of Overcoming Addiction

Overcoming addiction might be the most challenging but also exciting endeavor that any addict has ever

accomplished, so to ensure one gets off on the right foot, he or she will want to have the right foundation and support network in place before they start. Overcoming addiction can feel like an overwhelming task if someone is caught up in the power of the strong emotions that an addiction can bring.  Overcoming addiction and setting oneself free of unhealthy life choices is EMPOWERING!

However, the road to life after addiction is not going to be an easy one. But the good thing is that it is absolutely possible. Breaking free from the chains of any type of addiction is going to take effort, although just knowing that it is possible and attainable and to believe and accept that it can happen, is a great beginning to the journey of successfully overcoming addiction.

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Another Look at Addiction

Even though it is true, that for most people, the early decision to take drugs is voluntary, over a period time, the changes within the brain caused by constant drug misuse can have an effect on an individual's self-control and ability to produce good decisions, and at the same time drive intense impulses to take drugs.

 Addiction regularly follows a pattern. First, one tries a chemical or activity to discover what it can be like. After that a person will keep abusing the chemical or doing the behavior to obtain a "rush" or "high" or even to avoid dealing with issues they could possibly be having. They keep doing the addictive habit as well as minimize any of the bad attributes it can be having on their well-being, job functioning or associations. Lastly, they lose control totally-even after experiencing the bad effects. The person cannot discontinue using it, regardless of attempts to cut down or stop. 

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What is Addiction?

Honestly, what is addiction? Some would say that addiction can be defined simply as the avoidance of grief. So, what is addiction if addictive behavior evades grief? Maybe a shortcut to feeling successful, feeling happy, feeling accepted, feeling worthy? Any kind of addiction uses a transformed state of mind to mimic feeling successful in communicating and creating love through our emotions. In short, the answer to the question of “what is addiction” may just be to feel differently.

Did it Again!

Okay, had the wife and kids over yesterday after church and was doing well for the most part. I was still feeling a little sore from the sledding incident, but we were somewhat harmonious. The wife and I were watching netflix downstairs and the kids were watching their cartoons on the upstairs t.v. Everything seemed well. But, after they left, I had a couple beers and was calling it a night. When I get upstairs I realize the Roku remote is MIA. Can't find it. So, I do what any intelligently inebriated person would do in the same situation and call the wife to find out from the kids if they know where the remote is. Okay, no answer and her phone goes to voicemail. I'm feeling upset at the moment, but did find the remote under the bed covers as I was ranting into the phone on the wife's voicemail. Not real sure what I said in the voicemail due to my brain being anesthetized by the alcohol, (in my defense, I did say nevermind though after I found the remote) but I get a text from the wife today that says, "It's called my phone being dead on the charger!! Sorry you were so inconvenienced. We'll try to stay out of you hair from now on".

Wow, that seems pretty harsh considering it was just an "inconvenience" on my part. But, hey it's all me and I accept the blame. Honestly, that's not easy for me to say. All I can really say is that I did it again. I did or said something to offend my wife while under the influence. When will I learn?!? When will I learn that I cannot function properly, either personally, socially, or even holistically (sorry, needed something else to throw in here) when practicing alcoholism? Not sure, but I think it's called a "delusion". This is the insidiousness of the disease. It leads you to believe that you are in control when you are very obviously not!

The sad part is my wife doesn't believe it's a disease at all. She believes that I should be able to overcome it through the power of JESUS! And this is very possible if I change my addiction to alcohol to an addiction to Jesus, religion, or any other popular philosophical venue. "There is Power in the Name of JESUS"! Am I being defiant or disobedient? I don't know, maybe. But, I feel that I am who I am. I was created in God's image and made perfect in His eyes. There must be a reason for me to be here and I know God has a plan for all of us. So - - - - what is it?

Another Day in the Deep Freeze

Got up this morning knowing that it was going to be cold... again! But the weather people are saying that the
high today is only going to be 10 with wind chills in the negative digits... again! This has got to be one of the coldest winters to date with no sign of letting up any time soon. I understand, it's winter - I get it, but come on! Give me a break! My wife is a teacher's assistant for a private school down the road here and has had like five days off in the last eight because of the weather. No work- no pay! It doesn't bother me too much. I don't have to drive far to go to work and this place doesn't shut down for nothing. My only problem is the employees calling off because of the weather. Guess it could be worse though. I'm just very thankful that I have a job - so I can pay my heating bill!

Okay, enough of the negativity thing. Got to stay positive and meet this challenge head on!

What is Opiate Adiction?

What is “opiate” addiction? To answer this question we have to look at opiates. Opiates, or opioids, are naturally occurring pain killers and are usually derived from the Asian poppy plant. But what is an opiate addiction? As mentioned, opiates are powerful drugs that give one a sense of euphoria or “high” if not taken for pain management. So, what is opiate addiction? Opiate addiction is the abuse of these powerful drugs for recreational use or even a physical dependence on the substance after being prescribed pain killers from a doctor.

So, to answer the question, what is opiate addiction, let’s first answer the question of addiction itself. Addiction is the constant, habitual performance of taking a substance, participating in a certain activity, or ritualistic behavior that has a calming effect on the individual. I know what you’re saying though, how can an addiction to skydiving having a calming effect, but the fact is, those who have an addiction suffer from extreme anxiety when not using or participating in their chosen drug or activity. So, even though skydiving is anything but calming, (actually these types of addicts are called adrenaline junkies) it produces a calming effect for the addicted person. The same goes for any other substance or activity.

What is opiate addiction? Opiate addiction is the full-on preoccupation with finding and using opioids. These opiates comprise drugs such as heroin, codeine, morphine, “Oxycontin, Dilaudid, methadone, and others”. As mentioned, a lot of people become addicted to these drugs after a hospital stay where they are given morphine around the clock for pain management. Physicians also prescribe “pain pills” for people recovering from surgery, after a car wreck, or other type of injury. They prescribe these because these drugs are very effective for controlling pain, however many individuals start taking these meds for other reasons than they were prescribed and this is where the problem is. “My back really isn’t hurting today, but I have a nasty headache. I bet these pain pills the doc gave me will work for this as well.”

What is an opiate addiction? Let’s go to the experts… “Opioid (opiate) dependence is a medical diagnosis characterized by an individual's inability to stop using opiates (morphine, heroin, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, etc.) even when objectively it is in his or her best interest to do so, and is a major component of opioid addiction”( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiate_addiction). Well there you have it. But, there are other alarming statistics that give us a glimpse into opioid addiction. Such as these from Healthcare Central… “About 9% of the population is believed to misuse opiates over the course of their lifetime, including illegal drugs like heroin and prescribed pain medications such as Oxycontin. These drugs can cause physical dependence. This means that a person relies on the drug to prevent symptoms of withdrawal. Over time, greater amounts of the drug become necessary to produce the same effect” (Healthcare Central, 2014).

Allrighty then, to answer the question, “What is opiate addiction” we have to break it down into components. First, what is an opiate and then what is an addiction? We defined an opiate as an alkaloid derived from the Asian poppy plant and a powerful pain reliever. An addiction is something that individuals construct for themselves to ease their anxiety. SO – What is an opiate addiction? An opiate addiction is something akin to habitually seeking out this opioid pain reliever in an effort to ease ones anxiety. But, I still like the definition of what is an opiate addiction as “dependence” as a medical diagnosis characterized by an individual's inability to stop using opiates”.

No More Chili!

Feeling kind of melancholy at the moment. I feel that the weather is exacting a toll on me right now. The wind chill is in the negative digits, gloomy, gray clouds are overhead, and the freakin snow just won't stop! The dog has diarrhea and stunk up the basement (no more chili for you)! AND, it's just "not a fit night out for man nor beast"! BUT, the general populace can find a way to get in their cars and drive up and down the street in front of my house all day long.

Snow plows are just piling up more in my driveway and, seriously, yesterday I saw a sub-compact car that had snow almost up to the top of their windshield, but had like a tunnel dug in for the wipers to work, he was driving on the wrong side of the road in our neighborhood, and was most likely going to kill someone because they thought they had to drive in this maelstrom! DUDE! AT LEAST CLEAN YOUR FREAKIN WINDOW OFF SO YOU CAN BLINKIN SEE! Not long after that, the kids and I see an ambulance with siren blaring, dashing off to some apparent accident scene. My oldest says, "It's probably that car that had snow all over their windshield". I laughed. "you are probably right, Grasshopper".
I really don't get people sometimes, (okay most of the time). Why do they feel so entitled as to jeopardize my life, liberty, and family for their benefit?

Sledding Kills!

Had a great time with the boys today doing the sledding thing, since it's blizzard conditions and there's not really anything else to do besides sit in front of the tube. Hiked about three quarters of a mile to the

Goodyear Heights Metro Park for the first round and, of course, these  youngins ain't use to walking! Went back tonight for some night sledding (took the truck so they wouldn't have to walk) and had a pretty decent time except for broadsiding some people at the bottom of the hill and knocking them over like bowling pins. And yeah, it hurt, but my youngest was riding on my back down the hill and really thought the pile-up was fun! "We should do it again"! I'm like, "Dude, I think I broke a rib on that last one. Not much fun for me". But, we did piggyback down the slope one more time and then it was time to go (Seriously, I think I broke a rib).

Anyway, good times in the Arctic Northeast!

Alcohol Addiction

          In simple terms, alcohol addiction is just plain ugly! It's bad for a person’s physical health, not to mention emotional well-being and mental capacity. Alcohol addiction does not discriminate and is a huge concern among people of any age, race, or social class. Alcohol addiction is widely recognized by most medical professionals as a disease. And, as with any other addiction or disease, there are specific steps one must take while in the treatment process. Also, since this addiction is classified as a disease, there exists empirical evidence of the stages of development, causes, and treatment.

          Alcoholism, or alcohol addiction, is an aggressive and progressive disease that involves genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing the manifestations and development of this evil entity. As mentioned, an addiction to alcohol is viewed as a disease with all the components present that make it dangerous, not only to the individual using the substance, but to everyone who comes into contact with them as well. In essence they are a threat to themselves and others. Remember that this kind of addiction is recognized as a chronic, often progressive disease, one that affects the whole family, and one that affects the central nervous system.
          Alcohol addiction is pretty much a preventable disease and one that should not concern teenagers, but it does. This addiction develops when the alcohol reacts with a person's specific body chemistry and, the younger the person is when processed, the more susceptible they are to the addiction. Obviously, this is not good. The addicted individual can experience very serious and most likely lethal effects - even sudden death from alcohol poisoning. Almost any addiction can cause serious problems in one's life and will almost certainly seek and destroy any personal relationships they may have, but alcohol is readily available and legal, therefore more dangerous.
          Alcohol addiction is a slow, progressive re-mapping of the body’s chemistry which destroys a person from the inside out - steadily and unassumingly. Call it a slow form of suicide, if you will. Thus, It is a serious problem and one that needs to be dealt with as soon as it is recognized. As mentioned, this form of addiction is a life changing concern, if a person does not deal with it in its early stages, the problem is only going to get worse. It is a serious challenge to face and, like most of life’s challenges, is not going to be easy.
          Alcohol addiction not only impacts the individual's well-being but also causes emotional distress to the family and friends of the abuser. That said, it is possible to get physically dependent on the drug when consumed habitually. Studies have shown that alcohol addiction is even more widespread than drug addiction because of it being readily available and legal. Furthermore, an addiction is defined as a repeated pattern of using as a way to cope with stressors that involves a preoccupation with a substance, chemical, or activity that culminates in a loss of control over the habit or activity.
          Alcohol addiction is present when a person craves alcohol and cannot limit or contain his or her drinking. This particular addiction is a disease steeped in denial and tricks a person’s mind into believing they don’t have it. Therefore, alcoholism is more than just a physical disease – it also involves a mental component as well. (But what addiction doesn’t)? Any life controlling addiction is a serious medical concern with signs and symptoms that vary depending on the amount and frequency of consumption or habit. an addiction to alcohol is not currently curable and the persons suffering with it remain in recovery for the rest of their lives.
          Also, alcohol addiction is not dependent on or defined by what a person drinks, when they drink it, or even how much they drink. However, it is a tenacious and aggressive set of behaviors that are considered some of the most common problems in society today because of legality and the ease in acquiring it.
By all accounts, alcohol addiction is a serious medical concern that requires management from skilled addiction and chemical dependency specialists. Alcohol addiction has no known etiology (only theories), but it is thought to encompass, hereditary traits as well as environmental elements. It is characterized by frequent usage of alcohol and subsequent intoxication related to a severe dependence on the chemical – otherwise known as alcohol addiction.

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• My Addicted Mind
  Addiction is a family disease that is very misunderstood. My Addicted Mind explores the myths behind the disease, causes, and treatment for those with addictive personalities.